SafeSkies Petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
WE the undersigned, Residents of Canada, draw the attention of the Government of Canada to the following:
Whereas:
- Transport Canada is reducing traditional oversight methods and delegating its responsibilities in all sectors to industry via Safety Management Systems (SMS), which relies on self-reporting
- Enabling amendments to the Aeronautics Act, which are needed to make enforcement more current and effective, have been repeatedly rejected because they also contain detrimental secrecy provisions and do not enact whistleblower protection for industry workers reporting unsafe practices, whether in the public or private sectors
- Notwithstanding the above, Notices of Proposed Amendments to the Civil Aviation Regulations and Standards are soon due which will implement SMS into the riskiest sectors of aviation (702/703/704)
- Financial considerations, for both public and private operations, often outweigh safety, especially in times of world-wide financial crisis such as now being experienced
- For organizations under financial constraints, either in public or private sector, there is no motivation to self-report safety infractions and wrong-doings
- The Transportation Safety Board no longer investigates all serious accidents for cause and contributing factors, nor does it make public the results of all investigations, resulting in a loss of valuable safety information
- This reduction of oversight and investigation is in response to a lack of appropriate funding and fear of Crown liability
- Consequently, Canada may no longer be compliant with our obligations to the International Civil Aviation Organization under the Chicago Convention
- Reduction of government oversight and reliance on Safety Management Systems has resulted in serious safety breaches in Rail, Marine, Food and Nuclear sectors
- Aviation workers and the travelling public are in danger as a result
THEREFORE, your petitioners call upon the Government of Canada:
TO INITIATE A COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, headed by a Superior Court judge, to conduct a judicial review into Canada’s state of national aviation safety and related regulatory infrastructure to be followed by further reviews at defined intervals.